Voting Information

Message to U.S. Citizens

Consular Section Kinshasa

Message to U.S. Citizens, February 27, 2012- Register and request your ballot for Upcoming Primaries

Voters from these States should visit the FVAP.gov web portal to register and request their absentee ballot for the March, April, and May 2012 Presidential Preference Primary (P) and State Primary (S) elections listed below:

March Primaries (30-Day Notice):NOTE for March Primaries: If you have not received your requested State ballot, submit the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot at FVAP.gov (see FWAB information below).

Georgia (P): March 6

Massachusetts (P): March 6

Ohio (P,S): March 6

Oklahoma (P): March 6

Tennessee (P): March 6

Vermont (P): March 6

Virginia (P): March 6

Alabama (P,S): March 13

Mississippi (P,S): March 13

Illinois (P,S): March 20

Louisiana (P): March 24

April Primaries: (60-Day Notice)

District of Columbia (P,S): April 3

Maryland (P,S): April 3

Texas (P,S): April 3 (This is a change, the election was originally scheduled March 6)

Go to FVAP.gov and get started! It only takes a few minutes! All members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members, and citizens residing outside the U.S. who are residents from these States should submit an FPCA for these elections by going to the FVAP.gov web portal or by following the instructions in the Voting Assistance Guide, also available at FVAP.gov.

Be sure you include an email address, phone number, and/or fax number on your absentee ballot application in case your local election official needs to contact you. Remember, many States allow you to submit your form electronically, and deliver your ballot electronically or provide online ballot access. Go to FVAP.gov or your State’s election website to see how you can return your form.

Vote the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)The FWAB is a backup ballot. If 30 days before the election (or longer based on your geographic location) you think you will not receive your State ballot in time to vote and return it (especially in March Primary States), vote the FWAB at FVAP.gov. The FWAB is also available in embassies and consulates and military installations around the world.

Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain via numerous websites such as Project Smart Voter. You can also read national and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the Internet to locate articles and information. For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP's Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.

If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Brooke Knobel Voting Assistance Officer at 243-81-556-0151, extension 2164, or at AEKinshasaConsular@state.gov .

You can stay in touch and get Embassy updates by checking the U.S. Embassy Kinshasa web site. You can also get global updates at the U.S. Department of State's, Bureau of Consular Affairs website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well or you can download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App for travel information at your fingertips. If you don't have internet access, current information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States, or for callers from other countries, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

If you are going to live in or travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, please take the time to tell us about your trip by enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). If you enroll, we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency. You should remember to keep all of your information in STEP up to date. It is important during enrollment or updating of information to include your current phone number and current email address where you can be reached in case of an emergency.

The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, tel. +243-081-225-5872 (Do not dial the zero when calling from abroad). The Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached at tel. +243-081-884-6859 or +243-081-884-4609; fax +243-081-556-0173, andis open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call 081-556-0151 and ask to speak with the duty officer.

Voters from these States should visit the FVAP.gov web portal to register and request their absentee ballot for the March, April, and May 2012 Presidential Preference Primary (P) and State Primary (S) elections listed below:

March Primaries (30-Day Notice):NOTE for March Primaries: If you have not received your requested State ballot, submit the back-up Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot at FVAP.gov (see FWAB information below).

Georgia (P): March 6

Massachusetts (P): March 6

Ohio (P,S): March 6

Oklahoma (P): March 6

Tennessee (P): March 6

Vermont (P): March 6

Virginia (P): March 6

Alabama (P,S): March 13

Mississippi (P,S): March 13

Illinois (P,S): March 20

Louisiana (P): March 24

April Primaries: (60-Day Notice)

District of Columbia (P,S): April 3

Maryland (P,S): April 3

Texas (P,S): April 3 (This is a change, the election was originally scheduled March 6)

Go to FVAP.gov and get started! It only takes a few minutes! All members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members, and citizens residing outside the U.S. who are residents from these States should submit an FPCA for these elections by going to the FVAP.gov web portal or by following the instructions in the Voting Assistance Guide, also available at FVAP.gov.

Be sure you include an email address, phone number, and/or fax number on your absentee ballot application in case your local election official needs to contact you. Remember, many States allow you to submit your form electronically, and deliver your ballot electronically or provide online ballot access. Go to FVAP.gov or your State’s election website to see how you can return your form.

Vote the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB)The FWAB is a backup ballot. If 30 days before the election (or longer based on your geographic location) you think you will not receive your State ballot in time to vote and return it (especially in March Primary States), vote the FWAB at FVAP.gov. The FWAB is also available in embassies and consulates and military installations around the world.

Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain via numerous websites such as Project Smart Voter. You can also read national and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the Internet to locate articles and information. For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP's Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.

If you have any questions about registering to vote overseas, please contact Brooke Knobel Voting Assistance Officer at 243-81-556-0151, extension 2164, or at AEKinshasaConsular@state.gov .

You can stay in touch and get Embassy updates by checking the U.S. Embassy Kinshasa web site. You can also get global updates at the U.S. Department of State's, Bureau of Consular Affairs website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well or you can download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App for travel information at your fingertips. If you don't have internet access, current information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States, or for callers from other countries, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

If you are going to live in or travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, please take the time to tell us about your trip by enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). If you enroll, we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends and family get in touch with you in an emergency. You should remember to keep all of your information in STEP up to date. It is important during enrollment or updating of information to include your current phone number and current email address where you can be reached in case of an emergency.

The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, tel. +243-081-225-5872 (Do not dial the zero when calling from abroad). The Consular Section of the Embassy may be reached at tel. +243-081-884-6859 or +243-081-884-4609; fax +243-081-556-0173, andis open Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For after-hours emergencies, U.S. citizens should call 081-556-0151 and ask to speak with the duty officer.